Submarine operator



G. W. MARTIN.

SUBMARINE OPERATOR.

No. 29,296. Patented July 24, 1860.

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UNITED STATES P 'r orme.

GEORGE W. MARTIN, OF WEST MORISIANNA, NEW YORK.

SUBMARINE OPERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,296, dated July 24, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MARTIN, of the town of West Morisianna,county of Vestchester, and State of New York, have invented anew anduseful Machine for Submarine Operations; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, and to the letters of re'ference marked thereon,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 exhibits theplan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical section of thecaisson, tube, or well; Fig. 4, a vertical section of the cap piece;Fig. 5, a side view of the gearing; Fig. 6, a` section of the waterlevel gage.

A is the crank shaft towhich the power is attached containing theadjustable driving pinions and cam; B, the receiving wheel shaft andpinion; C, C, C, C, gearing wheels by which the well is moved up ordown; D, D, the pinions upon the shafts of the two outside gearingwheels for the purpose of moving the well up or down by means of theratchets a., c, attached thereto; E, E, the pumps for air or water to beconnected by elastic tubes (india rubber or otherwise) with the tubes inthe well, and moved by the cam upon the crank shaft A; b, b, I), b, thetubes for admitting or discharging' the air or water to or from the wellby means of the pumps E, E; c, the ladder by which the well is entered;cl, the door of admission to the well through the cap piece Fig. et; F,the crane and fixtures for the purpose of raising weights in or out ofthe well or otherwise; G, spars or masts for tackle blocks for raisingweights; H, the wheel for aiding the fall of the crane tackle throughthe latch block c; I, I, windlasses for the purposes of anchoring andswaying the vessel; J, J, double keels; K, the driving wheel; L, thepilot house; M, the water level gage Fig. 6.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I build a vessel in size and form suitable for the purpose, having ahole or orifice at the center or near it in size and form suitable toreceive the tube or well as represented in Fig. 3. Upon this vessel Iplace an en- O'ine and boiler or other motor, with suitable Lform andpower to perform the double work of either moving the vessel when'required or operating the machinery to perform the work of the submarineoperator.7 I vnext place upon this vessel the tube or well having theovally expanded bottom suitably braced that it may withstand thepressure of the water upon it; the object of this expanded form of thebottom of the tube is that in sandy or muddy bottom the sharp edge ofthis tube may be driven down into the sand or mud by the power of theengine and machinery so as to form a water-tight bulkhead, that thewater that is within the tube may be pumped out and thus access may behad to the bottom within the tube for the purposes of search or for thework of building piers or other work.

If the bottom shall be found rocky, or too hard to admit of thepenetration of the tube as above, then the cap piece Fig. 4L, may behermetically attached to the top of the tube or well and the air pumpedin so that by its increased density the water may be driven out, and sooperators having passed in through the door (Z, (which is made duplicatean inner and outer door made for the purpose) provided with suitablearmor.A air tubes, and implements, may follow down the ladder, c, as thewater is driven out and so perform such search or other operation as maybe requisite; and if it may be necessary to increase the length of thetube or well in consequence of the depth of the water, well adjustedjoints may be hermetically attached until the requisite length isobtained, surmounted by the cap piece7 where it is necessary.

In accomplishing the work contemplated in this invention it may benecessary to alter or modify some part of the machinery as set forthabove without departing from the plan or design which is expressed inthe language of my claim.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is--The arrangement of an apparatus for operating under water by means of atube or well passing through the center ofa vessel or near it to thebottom, for the purpose of searching or working on the ground beneathsubstantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE w. MARTIN'.

Vitnesses:

HARVEY BROWN, E. H. BROWN.

